SPOTLIGHT
PAPA
Wemba
The most influential African artist of all times
Tributes have been pouring in for Congolese
musician Papa Wemba who died on April
24th, 2016, Sunday morning after collapsing on
stage. African music expert Rita Ray looks at
what made him so influential.
Papa Wemba, or Jules Shungu Wembadio
Pene Kikumba, was rebellious, prolific, a style
icon, at times notorious and always innovative, who was well known as one of the pioneers of modern Congolese soukous music.
“When I say well-groomed, well-shaved, well-perfumed, it’s a
characteristic that I am insisting on among the young. I don’t
care about their education, since education always comes first
of all from the family.”
He did find global recognition and his 1995 Emotion album, released by Peter Gabriel’s Real World records, sold more than
100,000 copies - but it was just one of his more than 35 recordings.
On Sunday morning, Papa Wemba, the King of Rumba Rock,
died on stage doing what he loved best, and the last thing he
But he was very clear about how he wanted heard as he lay dying was his own music being played.
to be remembered, according to the sleeve
notes from his 1995 album Emotion.
“When people talk about Papa Wemba, I
don’t want them to say I am an African singer, or a world music singer,” he said. “I would
like people to say just ‘singer’. Because that’s
what I am. A singer. Full stop.”
Papa Wemba entered the competitive world
of Congolese music in December 1969, 10
years after his country’s independence.
It had been a traumatic era of civil war, assassinations and political instability. Yet the
music created there, a potent blend of Cuban, Latin American and traditional African
sounds, made Kinshasa the music capital of
the continent.
Rumba was all the rage. It crossed boundaries
and swept across Africa with the likes of Franco and TPOK Jazz, Tabu Ley Rochereau and
Dr Nico driving its popularity, their big dance
orchestras harking back to the euphoric days
of independence.
Influenced by Western pop and rock combos
of the 1960s and no doubt a lack of money
to buy instruments, Zaiko Langa Langa went
against form, they stripped out the horn sections prevalent in the rumba orchestras of the
time and pushed the electric guitar and snare
drum to the fore.
He became the leader of the Sape - short for
Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes
Elegantes or Society of Ambiance-ists and
People of Elegance - whose members, the
sapeurs, were known for their elegant style of
dress.
“The Sapeur cult promoted high standards of
personal cleanliness, hygiene and smart dress,
to a whole generation of youth across Zaire,”
Papa Wemba said.
page 8 | Issue #59
When people talk about Papa Wemba,
I don’t want them to say I am an African
singer, or a world music singer. I would
like people to say just ‘singer’. Because
that’s what I am. A singer.